When a log is cut by a chainsaw, it is advantageous to hold the log in such a way so as to avoid having a supporting surface immediately beneath the section of the log being cut. One widely used technique is to support the log between two or more sawhorses or sawbucks. The disadvantage of this approach is that the log sections must continuously be repositioned when the log is to be cut into more than two pieces. Furthermore, it may be unsafe to support a log at two points on opposite sides of the section being cut, because sagging of the log when it is partially cut can cause the chainsaw to kick back towards the operator.
The repositioning and kickback problems can be solved if the log is supported above the ground by a log holder that engages only one end of the log. The log can then be cut into any number of sections by starting at the far end of the log away from the support and working toward the support. One or more log holders capable of such a cantilevered support have been described in the prior art. Such prior log holders, however, have suffered from a number of limitations. For example, for stability, prior cantilevered log holders have been constructed with their ground-contacting bases extending beneath the log for a considerable distance, thereby increasing the size of the log holder and increasing the chance of interference between the base and the operator of a chainsaw. In addition, prior cantilevered log holders have failed to provide satisfactory means for accommodating logs at different diameters. Finally, prior cantilevered log supports have not been capable of supporting very short logs, and the final cut for cutting a log into cordwood therefore typically has to be performed without use of the log holder.